With its season at a crossroads and in danger of falling apart once again, the Boston College football team broke through with conviction.

After seeing double-digit leads disappear in losses to Virginia and Louisville, the Eagles saw a 14-point advantage over Syracuse turn into a 7-point deficit on Saturday. This time, BC responded by playing inspired football late to secure a 37-31 triumph at Alumni Stadium.

Backup quarterback Grayson James entered with BC down 7 early in the third when starter Thomas Castellanos limped off with an apparent leg injury. James spearheaded three scoring drives, as the Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) continued to rely heavily on their offensive line to wear down the Orange (6-3, 3 -3).

Kye Robichaux (28 carries, 198 yards, 2 TDs) and Jordan McDonald (15 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD) led the way as the Eagles racked up 313 rushing yards.

James found a wide-open Jeremiah Franklin for an 18-yard strike on a fourth-down pass with 6:51 left to push the margin to 9. Jackson Kennedy cut it to 6 with a 25-yard field goal. with 1:16 left, then Jayden McGowan recovered the onside kick to seal it.

BC’s game plan was no secret. The Eagles opened with eight straight drives before a promising drive resulted in a missed 29-yard field goal. BC’s defense shut down Syracuse’s high-octane passing attack early, then Daveon Crouch forced a fumble and Quintayvious Hutchins recovered it to give the Eagles prime field position.

Robichaux took advantage, bouncing outfield and scoring from 34 yards out to give British Columbia a 7-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles took that lead into the second, and a sack by Donovan Ezeiruaku paved the way for a 9-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to Lewis Bond with 8:55 left in the half. The goal was Castellanos’ first of the match and one of only two at halftime.

BC’s offense became predictable as the half wore on. Meanwhile, Syracuse found a rhythm, tying with a 17-yard reception from Oronde Gadsden II and a 3-yard run from LeQuint Allen.

Castellanos then threw a pass behind Reed Harris late in the second. After a promising start to the year, Castellanos regressed in recent weeks and seemed to be in bad shape.

The Eagles and Orange entered halftime tied at 14. BC held a dominant 172-35 advantage on the ground, while Syracuse racked up 179 passing yards to BC’s 14. The teams with contrasting styles played to their strengths, resulting in a relatively even start. .

McDonald, a transfer from Central Florida who had five carries the following season, was a bright spot for BC with 105 rushing yards in the half. McDonald made quick, smart decisions and showed his sneakiness and burst in key spots.

Syracuse took the lead, 21-14, on a 3-yard TD run from Allen. During BC’s next practice, Castellanos limped after being hit on a sack.

James came in and Robichaux provided a 41-yard run and a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game just 49 seconds later.

Moments after giving the defense a spirited pep talk on the sideline, Ezeiruaku knocked the ball out of quarterback Kyle McCord’s hands. Ezeiruaku tried to put it together, but he kicked it out of bounds to give up a safety and give the Eagles a 23-21 advantage with 7:33 left in the third. It was BC’s first safety since 2012 against Miami.

McDonald threw a 13-yard pass to give BC a 30-21 advantage on three, then Darrell Gill Jr. completed a 12-yard TD pass to cut the score to 30-28 with 11:16 to play.

Then came Franklin’s strike, as the Eagles did enough to save their season.

Trevor Hass can be contacted at [email protected].